Thousands of people with disabilities will be shut out of public Remembrance Day ceremonies because of inaccessibility.

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As the nation gears up to collectively mourn its dead, for citizens with various
disabilities, national Remembrance Day is a double tragedy.

“Not only are
we mourning along with everyone else for those who have been killed, but we are
also mourning the fact that we cannot properly pay our respects to those who
have died or show solidarity with their families,” commented Shlomo (Momo)
Nekava, chairman of the Organization for Disability Rights, who on Tuesday night
and Wednesday will be among thousands of people with disabilities shut out of
public ceremonies because of inaccessibility issues.

“It hurts,” he told
The Jerusalem Post Monday. “We can’t get to the ceremonies like everyone else,
and we stand alone remembering the country’s heroes.

“Every year we say
the same thing,” continued Nekava, a polio survivor who is confined to a
wheelchair. “It’s surprising that Prime Minister [Binyamin Netanyahu] shows no
understanding of this problem. He was a fighter in the army, he knows what it’s
like. He should be giving the order that cemeteries and ceremonies be made
accessible so that everyone can join in.”

According to Nekava and other
members of the country’s disabled community, including many disabled IDF
veterans, packed Remembrance Day ceremonies and crowded war cemeteries are
simply not accessible to those who are in wheelchairs or face other
disabilities.

“People with disabilities find themselves alone at home
rather than participating in a ceremony on Remembrance Day,” commented Yuval
Wagner, director and founder of Access Israel, a non-profit group that lobbies
for better accessibility for people with disabilities.

He emphasized that
excluding these people because of physical barriers was discriminatory, and he
pointed out that those planning such ceremonies could take simple steps that
would change the situation, allowing people with disabilities “equal
opportunities to participate.”

“There have been some improvements in
recent years,” continued Wagner, himself a disabled army
veteran.

“Official ceremonies overseen by the Defense Ministry and the
IDF’s educational department have taken steps to include people in wheelchairs,
and this year will even provide audio tools to those who are hard of
hearing.”

However, he added that ceremonies on many army bases, and those
by municipalities or at educational institutions, did not consider the multiple
needs of people with disabilities.

“This year, we sent out a seven-step
guide to improving accessibility for people with disabilities to all
municipalities and local authorities,” he said.

“Unfortunately we only
received one response, and even though they said they would implement our steps,
we did not see that they advertised it anywhere. It’s not enough to be
accessible if, at the end of the day, you do not tell people that there is
accessible parking for them or toilets or specially reserved
seating.”

Wagner, a former IDF pilot who was left paraplegic after
crashing during a training exercise, said he would have the privilege of
attending a ceremony on Tuesday evening at his former base. But, he added, most
army bases are not accessible to people in wheelchairs, and that has to
change.

“I am lucky because I will get to participate in a ceremony on my
army base, but many people will not be able to do the same,” he said, adding
that he already had plans to lobby the army to address the problem ahead of next
year.

In its seven-point accessibility plan, Access Israel places an
emphasis on increasing disabled parking spots close to where ceremonies are
taking place, adding more ramps and accessible pathways in cemeteries, offering
audio tools for the hard of hearing, providing sign language translators, having
reserved seating for those with disabilities, delineating special spots to place
wheelchairs and having volunteers on hand to assist those who need
help.

“We believe that these steps are simple and easy to implement,”
said Wagner.

“If they are done, then we will be able to create a
situation that will allow people with disabilities to participate equally and
comfortably.”

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